1. Where Restrictions on Abortion Pills Could Matter Most, By Allison McCann and Amy Schoenfeld Walker, The New York Times, March 2, 2023
A judge is poised to rule in a case that seeks to revoke the approval of the most common, safe and effective abortion pill regimen, with the potential for consequences to be felt in every state.
Nationally, more than half of reported abortions rely on medication, which is approved for use through the 10th week of pregnancy. Abortion pills are preferred among many patients and providers for their convenience, privacy and cost. Around 40 percent of the country’s clinics, including more than 80 telehealth providers, offer medication abortions only.
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More than half of all abortions — and 64 percent of abortions before 10 weeks of pregnancy — relied on abortion pills in 2020, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. And in states like Colorado, Iowa, Maine, Nebraska, Vermont and Wyoming, the share of abortions done with medication was 70 percent or higher. (A few large states that also depend on medication abortion, including California and Illinois, did not report data or did not report data by method type to the C.D.C.)
About 5.6 million patients in the U.S. have used mifepristone followed by misoprostol for a medication abortion since the approval of the regimen in 2000.
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/03/02/us/abortion-pill-lawsuit-mifepristone.html
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2. Garland says crisis pregnancy sites’ firebombers are too ‘clever’ for FBI, Prosecutions mount against pro-lifers protesting at clinics, By Jeff Mordock, The Washington Times, March 2, 2023, Pg. A1
Attorney General Merrick Garland said Wednesday that he has deployed the FBI to track down those responsible for attacking crisis pregnancy centers but the agency has been stymied by “clever” criminals who do their work at night.
In heated testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee, Mr. Garland defended his department’s fulsome prosecutions of protesters at abortion clinics and insisted he would deliver the same treatment to those who firebomb or vandalize Catholic churches and pro-life centers — if the FBI could find them.
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Republican senators repeatedly pressed the attorney general on what they said was a striking disparity between prosecutions in pro-life and pro-choice attacks.
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They were incredulous at his explanation that the FBI has come up empty.
Ms. Blackburn pointed to an attack on a pregnancy center in Tennessee where a pro-choice group, Jane’s Revenge, took credit.
Mr. Garland said the FBI wants to nab those in the group responsible but can’t find them.
“We intend, if we find them, to [prosecute],” he said. “We have put heavy resources into this.”
Attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers have increased since the leak last year of the Supreme Court’s draft opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization. The ruling overturned Roe v. Wade and returned the abortion rights issue to the states.
Mr. Garland said the Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act, which his department uses for prosecutions, applies equally to those who block clinics and pro-life centers. He acknowledged that his department has many more cases against pro-lifers protesting at abortion clinics but said it’s not intentional.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/mar/1/merrick-garland-says-those-attacking-pro-life-cent/
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3. Pro-life doctors’ group booted from national OBGYN conference, By Valerie Richardson, The Washington Times, March 2, 2023, Pg. A2
Pro-life obstetrician-gynecologists are increasingly getting the stiff-arm from the field’s leading professional associations.
The American Association of Pro-Life Obstetricians and Gynecologists was abruptly barred from hosting an exhibit booth at this week’s meeting of leading OBGYN education groups held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland.
Dr. Christina Francis, incoming CEO of the pro-life group, said the doctors weren’t told about the cancellation until after arriving in Maryland, even though the organization booked the booth last year and has participated in the conference for the last 15 years.
https://www.washingtontimes.com/news/2023/mar/1/pro-life-doctors-group-booted-national-obgyn-confe/
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4. Push to require clergy to report abuse stalls in Mormon Utah, By Sam Metz, Associated Press, March 1, 2023, 5:24 PM
Proposals to reform laws that exempt clergy from child sex abuse reporting requirements went nowhere in Utah’s statehouse this year, failing to receive even a hearing as lawmakers prepare to adjourn for the year. Efforts were stymied by a coalition of powerful religious groups, continuing a yearslong pattern in which Catholics, Latter-day Saints and Jehovah’s Witnesses have defended the exemptions as survivors like Lundholm fight for reform.
In Utah, where the majority of lawmakers are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, state law requires most professionals — therapists, doctors and teachers among them — report abuse, yet clergy are exempt from alerting authorities about abuse they learn of through confessions.
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Laws in 33 states exempt clergy — regardless of religion — from laws requiring people report child sexual abuse allegations to authorities. Religious leaders have systematically fought efforts to expand the list of states. They currently oppose efforts from Vermont to Washington, where a proposal advanced through the state Senate Tuesday.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/push-for-clergy-to-report-abuse-stalls-in-deeply-mormon-utah/2023/03/01/b29fc072-b7f6-11ed-b0df-8ca14de679ad_story.html
__________________________________________________________TCA Media Monitoring provides a snapshot from national newspapers and major Catholic press outlets of coverage regarding significant Catholic Church news and current issues with which the Catholic Church is traditionally or prominently engaged. The opinions and views expressed in the articles do not necessarily reflect the views of The Catholic Association. |
